Ep 316 | Hilary Hoffman

Written By Yasmin Nouri

Ditch the Doubt & Start Building Today: How This Founder Left Her Safe Career Behind to Turn Her Dream Business Into a Reality

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Hilary Hoffman is the founder of SotoMethod, a fitness program that combines cardio and sculpting movements designed to maximize burn and efficiently deliver a full-body workout.

Hilary started out her career in wall street and built a successful career for herself in finance.  However, the long hours spent at her desk made her realize that she didn’t feel good her body and the importance of prioritizing her health. This was a huge turning point for Hilary because she realized she needed to fuel and energize her body properly and in a way that fit with her schedule.  In 2021, Hilary turned this vision into reality with the launch of SotoMethod. What started out as a grassroots, “word-of-mouth” business with classes hosted in Hilary’s backyard in LA under an Avocado tree, has now catapulted into one of today’s most successful fitness brands.

In this week's episode, we talk to Hilary about overcoming fear in entrepreneurship and the practical steps she took to face it early on. She shares insights into her upbringing, her time at Goldman Sachs, and the pivotal move to Los Angeles that shifted her career path. Hilary dives into the creation of the SotoMethod, which began as a personal project and side hustle during COVID, outlining the exact steps she took to get her idea off the ground, quit her job, and eventually run her now full-fledged fitness brand with digital and in-person platforms. She emphasizes the importance of being scrappy in the early days, not overthinking every little detail, and how early feedback was pivotal in refining her method before she went all in. Hilary reflects on the value of embracing fear as a tool for growth and courage, and her guiding principle to "control your controllables," emphasizing how prioritizing health provided stability through the ups and downs of her life—and so much more.

Show Notes:

  • Acknowledge fears and doubts to better understand them. [02:47]

  • Lessons learned from Hilary’s finance career. [03:16]

  • Feedback vs. advice: actionable feedback drives improvement. [05:42]

  • Shifting from public markets to real estate. [12:21]

  • Transitioning from stable jobs to entrepreneurship. [16:46]

  • The value of honest feedback. [19:37]

  • Starting small and scrappy can lead to big growth. [23:05]

  • From Zoom classes to recorded sessions. [26:05]

  • Building the SotoMethod app. [28:50]

  • Sharpening intelligence and perspective. [31:24]

  • Turning a side hustle into a full-time career. [32:04]

  • Community engagement drives brand loyalty. [34:16]

  • Scaling a business through structured onboarding. [37:08]

  • Understanding the cyclical nature of business can help in planning and strategy. [39:14]

  • Reflecting on a year with zero signups. [40:40]

  • Delivering value is key for subscription services. [45:11]

  • Controlling your controllables can lead to better outcomes in business and personal life. [47:41]

  • Taking action is more important than waiting for perfection. [52:52]

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Ep 315 | Dr. Taz Bhatia